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Undefeated Billerica rolls by mistake-prone hosts

LOWELL -- Wednesday's game between the Billerica Indians and the Lowell Red Raiders was one Lowell coach Dan Graham would like to forget.

Billerica 9, Lowell 3

One could say that was the case after just the top of the first.

Undefeated Billerica (7-0, 5-0 MVC) scored six times in the opening frame on five hits, three errors, and a wild pitch en route to a 9-3 victory at Stoklosa/Alumni Field.

The game began with an error by Lowell shortstop Randy DeJesus off the bat of Billerica leadoff hitter Robert Gambale. This would be a sign of things to come for Red Raiders starter Anthony Dally.

Drew Salk followed up with a triple, then scored as the relay throw got away from everybody. Dylan Lavery kept the line moving as he got hit by a Dally pitch. After Chris Murphy struck out swinging, the next three Billerica batters got hits -- Eric Eknaian doubled, Kyle Murphy singled and Max Frawley doubled. Connor McDonough capped the onslaught with a two-out single that plated Frawley.

"It was good to see them come out aggressive with the bats," said Billerica coach Joe Higgins.

Lowell tried to get the offense going from the outset, as Tyler Schermerhorn worked a leadoff walk, advanced to second on an error by Frawley, and scored on a one-out single by Joe Parisi (2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base). Two strikeouts later, however, the Red Raiders (3-5, 2-2 MVC) were back on defense.

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"We lacked what you can't really teach, and that's clutch hitting at certain times," said Graham. "There are some things fundamentally that we can do better, but we need individuals to step up."

Billerica padded its lead in the fourth with a combination of patience at the plate and heads-up baserunning. With two outs and the bases empty, Gambale worked a leadoff walk and stole second, then Salk took a base on balls. With Lavery at the plate, Dally uncorked a wild pitch, allowing the runners to advance to second and third. Lavery made him pay, driving a single to center to bring an end to Dally's day (3 2/3 innings, 8 runs, 6 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts).

Frawley got the win for the Indians and improved to 3-0. After getting through the first four innings relatively easily, he started to deteriorate in the fifth, allowing four of the first five batters to reach base.

He threw three pitches that made their way to the backstop -- a passed ball that scored Joe Parisi, a wild pitch that scored Matt Skotz, and a second wild pitch that put runners at second and third with one out.

After getting Randy DeJesus to pop out to left, he walked Keagan Latta to load the bases for Schermerhorn. But Frawley (5 innings, 3 runs, 7 hits, 5 walks, 4 strikeouts) buckled down and got him to ground out to third to end what would be the last threat of the game for Lowell.

"Max is rounding into shape," said Higgins. "He was a little bit wild early in the season... he's got good pop on the ball, and his curveball is one of the best in the league."

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